Production of alloys.



O. A. HANSEN.

PRODUCTION OF ALLOYS.

APPLICATION FILED 1111s. a. 1000, 111111121 131) APR. 12. 1911.

1,041,072. Patented 001.15, 1912.

Witnesses Inventor Charles ff. Hansen, b MW Y W 1 th EN Flt- CHARLES A. HANSEN, 0F SCHENEC'IADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

PRODUCTION OF ALLOYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

Application filed August 6, 190,), Serial No. 511,524. Renewed April 12, 1911. Serial No. 620,666.

To all whom iii may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. Hansen, a citizen of the United States, residing-at Schenectady, in the county of iilchenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmproven' efnts in the Pro duction of Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production from metals having a high aiiinity for carbon of alloys such as, ferro alloys containing boron, vanadium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum or titanium. In the production of these allo s it is highly desirable to keep the alloy w on molten out of contact: with carbon, as it absorbs carbon readily in this condition. A furnace lining is, therefore, necessary which will not introduce can,

bon into the material, such, for example, as a magnesite lining. Qthe use of such linings, however, is'attendcd with great difiiculty and rendered impracticable by the reaction mixture, which contains corrosive oxid,

- fusing to a fluid mass below the reduction temperature. This fluid mass attacks .all linings but a carbonaceous lining, which is objectionable, as stated above. Furthermore, the fusing of'the mixture not only renders its confinement difficult, but it is much more diiiicult to reduce when in a fluid condition.

According to my invention, the reaction mixture is trapped in a sponge, so to speak, of carbon, thus preventing contact of the corrosive oxid with the lining. The i'urnace, in which the reaction is carried on, is lined with a non-carbonaceous lining, such as a magnesite lining.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic sectional view of a furnace suitable for reducing the mixture The reaction mixture i: incorporated with a viscid, carbonaceous material, such as pitch, in such a manner that the particles of the reaction mixture are coated with the carbonaceous material. Upon carbonization the particles of the mixture will, tl'ierofore. be more or less complet" surrounded with carbon, which forms a cellular or spongy mass, trapping the particles of mixture. ll

desired. the carbonaceous material may be added in such proportion that after carbonization the remaining carbon may by itself be suflicei'it to reduce the oxid or oxids; but, prefe' )ly, a certain mount of powdered reducing material, such as powdered coke, is added to the mixture. In either case after the carbon foriningfthe spongy mass which. traps the particles of reaction mixture is consumed by interaction with the oxids, the

reduced metal falls to the bottom of the fur nace chamber, where it is confined by the nolrcarbonaceoui-i lining. The reduced alloy under these COIKliRiOIlS absorbs or combines with but a surprisingly low percentage of carbon.

As a specific example of reduction involving my invention, will describe the production of term-boron. A. charge of powdered boric acid, which has been pre- 7 viously fused, powdered iron oXid, powdered coke and pitch is thoroughly mixed in a ball mill. The exact proportions of these materials, of course, will depend upon the amount of fixed carbon and of pitch and the particular oxids used; but, as an example, I will state that I have used a mixture consisting by weight of 15.5 parts of boric acid, 14 parts of magnetite,8.5 parts of graphitized coke, and 5 parts of pitch 30 containing -10 per cent. fixed carbon; but I do not wish to be limited to thcscparticular proportions. After being thoroughly mixed, the mixture is preferably kneaded by a suitable steam hcated mixing machine, and is then pressed into pellets, which :are carbonized at a tcupcrature oi, say, 800 C. After carbonizing the pellets are broken up into pieces oi. convenient size and charged into an electric arc furnace of the general type illustrated in the drawing. The furnacc consists of a casing 1, lined with a refractory brick Q, as magnesite brick. The two electrodes 3, -l. we inserted into the broken material and connected electrically in series. The heat is generated in the wellknown way by the high rc. stance of the charge 5, which consists o'l broken, irregular matorial. The carbon combines with thc oxygen. and the rm'luced iron allovs with uct may be confined within the limits of one-hall of one per cent., or even less.

While I have described my process particularly with reference to the production of term-boron, I aim by the appended claims to cover other'alloys made in a similar way, such, for example, as already specified in-the introductory paragraph.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The process, which consists in incorporating a reducible boron compound and ferric material with a viscid carbonizable binder, heating to carbonize said binder and forma' spongy mass, and subsequently heating to a higher temperature. 2. The process, which consists in intimately mixing oXid of boron, oXid of iron, and a reducing agent with a viscid' carbonizable binder, heating to carbonize said binder, and subsequently heating to a tent perature at which carbon will interact with the oxids present.

3. The process, which consists in intimately mixing oxid of boron ferric material and carbon with a VlSCld carbonizable binder, heatingto carbonize said binder, and subsequently Sub ectmg said material to the heat of an electric arc while sup ported on a carbon-free furnace lining.

4E. The process,.which consists in coating with carbonaceous material the particles of a comminuted charge containing chemic lLy active compound or compounds of met ls having a high affinity for carbon,'the proportions of said compound or compounds and carbon being substantially in pr p w tion called for by a reaction between the same carbonizing to form a spongy mass of carbon supporting the compounds to be rtduced, heating the mixture to the reaction temperature and supporting the reduce product upon a carbon-free surface.

In witness whereof, 1 have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of August, 1909.

CHARLES A. HANSEN.

\Vitnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL, MARGARET E. \Voo LEY. 

